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France - Champagne

Champagne Blend

Producer Notes

Taittinger, located in Reims, is the third oldest Champagne house and one of the few remaining independent, family-owned houses. It produces both fine non-vintage and vintage Champagnes. The prestige cuvee is the vintage Champagne Comtes de Champagne, named after the original Comtes de Champagne, who resided in Reims in the 13th century building subsequently purchased by Taittinger. The blanc de...
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Drink Dates

A yeasty and lemon peel nose that possesses good freshness merges into crisp, straightforward and nicely detailed flavors that are pleasantly fruity and just complex enough to avoid being one-dimensional. I have never quite understood why, with such a distinguished range, that they can't seem to do better with this <i>cuvée</i>.

Tasted blind in June 2008Quite a dark gold. Delicate intriguing nose with real depth. Lots of palate impact and a nice tight bead. Serious wine that would be good with food as well as being a very positive aperitif in the rarefied atmosphere of an aircraft cabin.

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WA
88

Source Wine Advocate

Issue 180

Drink Dates
2008-2010

The NV Brut La Francaise is a pretty, mid-weight wine with good definition in its ripe peaches, flowers and sweet spices, and a refined, clean finish. This is an attractive, well-balanced NV Champagne to enjoy now and over the next few years. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.

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RJ
73

Source Richard Juhlin

Previously very uneven. Often too sweet and perfumed, sometimes with such a creamy Chardonnay character that it can be mistaken for a vintage champagne. In more recent years the style and quality have been stabilised to the better. The Jeroboam is frightfully impressive.

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WS
89

Source Wine Spectator

Drink Dates
2007-2010

Toast, honey, peach and citrus flavors come together effortlessly in this balanced, elegant Champagne. The fine mousse adds to the textural component, and this ends on a refreshing note. 33,946 cases imported.

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Community Tasting Notes
average score of 89 points based upon 7 reviews

Pale gold in color with medium-fine bubbles, this wine has a bright nose of lemon zest and toasted bread. In the mouth it is a nice combination of yeasty and tart crabapple flavors that linger into a pleasant finish. Not quite leesy enough to get me really excited, but a pleasure to drink.

I hold firm on my exuberant praise for the Prelude cuvee from this house (and their Rose Comtes de Champagne is nothing to sneeze at), but the Francaise cuvee does not generate that type of excitement. Mild in its aroma of toasted biscuit, citrus zest, bailed hay and ginger, as things unfold a bit more on the palate. Round, creamy and moderate in weight, the personality of this Champagne is soft, between the lines & finishes abruptly. A very good, but relatively straight forward example of NV Champagne.

WinePosts

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Drink date is averaged using VinCellar members' most recent start and end drink date submissions for this wine.